CHASE THE EXERHIGHS

TitleCHASE THE EXERHIGHS
BrandBJÖRN BORG
Product/ServiceSPORTSWEAR
Category A04. Consumer Durables
Entrant NORD DDB Stockholm, SWEDEN
Idea Creation NORD DDB Stockholm, SWEDEN
Credits
Name Company Position
Andreas Dahlqvist NORD DDB Stockholm Chief Creative Officer
Hanna Ternström NORD DDB Stockholm Account director
Linda Lonaeus NORD DDB Stockholm Account manager
Clara Uddman NORD DDB Stockholm Art Director
Petter Swanberg NORD DDB Stockholm Art Director
Martin Lundgren NORD DDB Stockholm Senior Copywriter
Jesper Hellzén NORD DDB Stockholm Senior designer
Susanne Johansson NORD DDB Stockholm PR Director
Johan Rynell NORD DDB Stockholm Planning director
Andrea Dahlbäck NORD DDB Stockholm Planner
Tor Westerlund NORD DDB Stockholm Designer
Jonas Eriksson NORD DDB Stockholm Social media & content manager
Frode&Marcus Frode&Marcus Director & Photography
Josephine Lundquist HOUSE Agency Producer
Stina Lindgren HOUSE Agency Production manager
Lisa Berkert Wallard HOUSE Agency Set design
Tereza Ortiz HOUSE Agency Styling
Ignacio Alonso HOUSE Agency Make up
Joe Yves HOUSE Agency Hair
Marcus Pettersson Casting Sweden Casting
Lode Kuylenstierna HOUSE Agency Editing
Calle Buddee Roos Ponytail Sound Post Production Sound
Oskar Larsson Tint Grade
Olle Petersson Tint Online
Hugo Guerra HOUSE Agency Comp
Sebastian Loven HOUSE Agency Comp
Lukas Thuvesson HOUSE Agency Comp

Why is this work relevant for PR?

With the campaign we could reach out to media and stakeholders in different sectors with a campaign with multiple touchdowns. A talkative (and for some a bit provocative) event, exerhighs branded clothes, scientist that prove our point, trippy visual films and even exerhighs classes for influencers. At the same time as the idea wakes curiosity, it´s also provocative which makes it engaging and newsworthy. Everything ties together with the one fact that we believe anyone can agree on – workout is better than drugs! The films spread in social media inspires to a trip that anyone can experience through exercise.

Background

Björn Borg is a small sports fashion brand from Sweden, competing in a world of giants. Given they only has a fraction of the marketing budgets the bigger sports brands have, they always need to find new ways to stand out in the competition. Something that now is put on its ends when Björn Borg is about to launch its new sports wear collection.

Describe the creative idea

There’s no news exercise does brilliant things with our bodies, what’s more fascinating is what it does to our brains. When working out your brain releases serotonin, adrenaline, dopamine and endorphins. These are the same substances released by ecstasy, LDS and other happy drugs. So Björn Borg released Chase The Exerhighs. A campaign linking exercise to taking happy drugs – manifested in one simple thought: Working out can make you high.

Describe the strategy

Science have told us that sports is good for us. It betters our health, but also our sex life, our iq and our confidence. However norms is holding people back from hitting the gym, pitch or track. Björn Borg is a brand that always have been breaking norms, that is why we created the communications platform "challenge norms within sports", to make the benefits of an active life available to the many.The first norm we ought to challenge was the notion that exercise has to be boring, something that is emphasized in all Björn Borgs competitors campaigns with serious people looking toughly into the camera. So we asked ourselves, what if we could make exercise fun? We gathered vast amount of data and found out that exercise activates the same signal substances as "happy drugs", like ecstacy does. So we decided to package sports and exercise as a "legal high".

Describe the execution

Campaign unit’s inspired people that working out can actually get you high with a manner and tonality taken from the things you experience when on drugs. To prove this and give people a scientific angle on it a neurologic professor explained what happens in your brain when you work out, and the mechanics behind how these neurotransmitters puts you in this state of mind. Work out classes to reach the state of exerhighs together with others were held. Björn Borg even convinced people to swap drugs for sportswear - by turning a coffee shop in Amsterdam into a Coffee Swap. All to manifest one simple thought: That working out can get you high.

List the results

The campaign recived 18 million earned media impressions on Björn Borgs main markets in Europe. 95% positive coverage with campaign pictures, films and main messages deliverd. Touch points in multiply important sectors for Björn Borg such as health, sports, business, trade, marketing and lifestyle. Ultimately reaching over 2 million people on Björn Borg’s social channels.